Nigel Vickers
Private Nigel Vickers is one of five secondary protagonists in the novel; ''Cataclysm: Definitive Edition (and the original), he is a private in the Democratic Trade Union Defence Force (D.T.U.D.F.) and is originally posted at the Lavender Checkpoint. Nigel Vickers initially meets the group of Robert Charlton, Katrina Davenport and Doc Samson at the D.T.U. Lavender Checkpoint where his unit was originally stationed but meets up later on with Robert at the Horde's War Camp as a prisoner, having been captured after the Horde ran through and overran the Lavender Checkpoint. ''“The Pit’s the place men go to die. He puts men against men or men against animals and watches ‘em massacre each other.” ''- ''Nigel Vickers explaining what happens in the War Camp's Pit to Robert Charlton. (Chapter 21: The War Camp, Page 212). Pre-Book History: Nigel Vickers was born in the trading-town of Shutter Town, which is controlled by the Democratic Trade Union. Nigel felt a yearning to adventure the North-West, being a D.T.U. citizen Nigel could do this, however it would cost him a lot to travel and Nigel did not desire to toil in the trading industry like his parents to save up to travel, and so in 2223, when Nigel was seventeen, he joined he D.T.U.D.F. in hopes of travelling around the North-West. Nigel passed the D.T.U.D.F. training alongside Malcolm McIntyre, whom he became close friends with, and in 2224 Nigel and Malcolm were attached to the same unit and deployed throughout the North-West. From 2224 to 2237, Nigel and Malcolm had been to Western Tradesville to suppress race riots, Inner New Haven to guard the Aqua Facility, Outer New Haven to catch illegal immigrants, Exodus to deal with marauders who had been cast out of the Utopian army and guarded outposts and checkpoints in on the D.T.U. - Red Valley Border and the D.T.U. - Skin-Crawler Territory Border. Also between 2224 to 2237 Nigel had been on four separate military tours, each being six months long. The first tour being in the far-west of the North-West of England, battling Clan Scouse and the Pool Crew, to retain literature from Everpool's libraries. The second tour being in the east of the North-West of England in the Red Valley, capturing or killing Red Valley Slavers, freeing slaves and placing captured tribesmen and tribeswomen into democratic rehabilitation camps. The third tour being in the Tattered Woods, arresting sex and drug traffickers, checking merchants's and traders's paperwork and wares, freeing slaves, capturing or killing slavers and tracking members of the Night Snakes who had been causing trouble on the D.T.U.'s southern borders. The fourth and last tour was in the Skin-Crawler Territory, where for four months, due to the vastness of the area, Nigel and Malcolm seen next-to-no combat. The last two months upon the Flesh Lord unleashing his forces to take care of the D.T.U.D.F. was hellacious for both the privates. During this tour Nigel was offered the opportunity to rise up the ranks to an N.C.O. but chose not to take the promotion. After his fourth tour, having experience with the Skin-Crawlers, their tactics and fighting style, Nigel and Malcolm's unit was stationed across the D.T.U. - Skin-Crawler Territory Border, with Nigel and Malcolm being placed at the Lavender Checkpoint. Both Malcolm and Nigel loved the locals, and vice versa. However over time Nigel found the location boring, having been stationed there for over a year, from early 2237 to mid 2238, Nigel found any excuse possible to leave the checkpoint. Often getting himself in trouble with the N.C.O.'s and C.O.'s of his unit. Appearance & Personality: Physical Appearance: * Eye Colour - '''Blue * '''Hair Colour - '''Brown * '''Hair Style - '''Shaven head * '''Facial Hair - '''None * '''Skin Colour - '''White * '''Height - '''5'11" (180.4cm) * '''Weight - '''11st (154lbs) * '''Accent - '''Cheshire * '''Age (in 2238) - '''32-years-old. * '''Other Features - '''Nigel has a clear scar across his nose where it had been broken multiple times. '''Attire & Arsenal: Nigel wears a British military uniform that had been dyed in various blues, the official colour of the Democratic Trade Union. Nigel was issued with webbing and a combat belt for his extra ammunition, water canteen and other useful items. Nigel has black body armour underneath the webbing. Nigel wears black ammunition boots, black sunglasses and also has black fingerless gloves. As a private in the D.T.U.D.F. Nigel is issued with an SA80a3, semi-automatic assault rifle. A combat knife with one side having jagged curves. A Glock-18 9mm side-arm and an e-tool shovel. Personality: Nigel has quite a positive outlook on life, despite his experiences, loves to adventure but will follow direct orders without hesitation. Nigel is an alcoholic but it does not completely control his life. Nigel is extremely friendly and will help those in need, although he often asks for something in return for his help, he will also lend a hand for free if he believes those people are in need of it. Biography: Doctor Will Samson and Katrina Davenport meet Nigel and Malcolm at the Lavender Checkpoint after their near death experience at within the Skin-Crawler Territory, desperate to return to the spot of their experience to save Robert Charlton who had remained behind so they could escape. Nigel, desiring adventure, goes with Doc Samson to the crash-site of the doctor's wagon and there finds Robert still alive but exhausted. After the groups' stay in the Lavender Checkpoint, Rob pays Nigel with a pistol, he had acquired earlier on their journey, to drive them to Lempton. Nigel is not seen after this until the final third of the novel, here he had fought against Skin-Crawlers attempting to get past the D.T.U. - Skin-Crawler Territory Border and then fought against Arch-Tiberius's Horde, where he was eventually wounded and captured alongside Malcolm. Nigel would then have to fight in the Pit in the Horde's first War Camp located north of Lempton. Lempton was the first major D.T.U. stronghold that was captured and raised to the ground by the Horde. While in the Horde's second War Camp, located in the Northern Hills after Arch-Tiberius had captured Buddington and looted it, Nigel was forced to fight to the death with his best friend Malcolm, whom he shared a cell with. Malcolm and Nigel had intended to escape and Nigel lost all hope, desiring to assassinate Arch-Tiberius for what he had done to him and force him to do. Malcolm's spot in the cell was replaced by Robert, there Nigel explained the Pit to Robert and informed him about their captor; Arch-Tiberius. Afterwards Nigel continued to refuse to fight in the Pit. Eventually to teach him a lesson, however keep him alive so Robert still had a cell mate, Nigel was brutally gang raped by the Horde's guardsmen. Nigel chose this time to slit his wrists in the middle of the night, committing suicide and smuggling in a shank so that Robert could use it to kill the guard who come to check up on Nigel's dead body. Nigel hoped Robert would kill Arch-Tiberius but failed to tell him so and Robert instead chose to retrieve Katrina and escape to the Moss Woods. Trivia: * Nigel was forced to kill his best friend Malcolm in the Pit on the orders of Arch-Tiberius. * Nigel would offer sexual favours to the Horde's guards in return for alcohol and extra rations. * Despite Nigel's offering of sexual favours to the Horde's guards, Nigel is not a homosexual and also offered these favours to the female guards. * Nigel intended to escape on his own and attempt to assassinate Arch-Tiberius however once Robert arrived and shared his cell, Nigel realised it was Robert who would be able to accomplish such a feat and was willing to die for this to become reality. * Robert had no knowledge of Nigel's plan to assassinate Arch-Tiberius and so used Nigel's death simply escape and not use the mass chaos and confusion to kill the warlord, instead prioritising Katrina's safety and their escape to the Moss Woods. * Nigel is an alcoholic. * Nigel fought four times in the Pit, being classified as a Scorpio fighter. * Nigel's favourite song is; Cat Stevens - Wild World.